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Friday, January 8, 2016

Bandcamp Picks - Throneless, Isaak, Ape Machine, Beesus

Swedish trio THRONELESSknow their doom. Despite its restrained pace and dogged repetition, their self titled debut is an engaging affair, treading through ambient waters on its way to the land of nod. They don't hit many notes, but the ones they do are the right ones. [€7]

Isaak, like Big Business or Floor, are a heavy band that would probably most appeal to non-metalheads - but even this horncrowned hesher finds himself won over. Sermonize, their sophomore album, varies itself nicely with veteran swagger, showing these Genovesis understand that songwriting is a craft. The gorgeous production is just icing on the cake. [$10]

It's hard to say sometimes what draws me to a band (other than blastbeats and pure deranged speed). With Oregonians Ape Machine, all it took was their name. Coalition of the Unwilling throws itself into 70's rock with flair, driven by what sounds like the bastard offspring of Glenn Tipton and Billy Gibbons on guitar. A welcome relief from the remedial riffing of most stoner rock bands. [€7]

Rome's Beesus reference weed on no less than three titles of the nine songs on their debut, and end with an ode to marijuana; so I'll assume they're only too happy to live up to the mantle of "stoner rock". Lo-fi to a fault, Rise of Beesus is so fuzzy it's practically coughing up furballs, Melvins' influence on its sleeve and loose stems all over its pants. [€10]